Ex-rugby star who entered NFL with no experience named Eagles captain

The Philadelphia Eagles announced their captains for the 2024 season on Friday, and the group included a first-time player with a heck of story.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata will wear the letter “C” on his chest this year along with six of his teammates . It’s a huge honor for a player who entered the NFL in 2018 with no high school or college football experience. He played professional rugby growing up in Australia, and carved a path to American football through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which identifies prospects outside of the United States and Canada.

Mailata's chops on the rugby field were easy to spot for NFL scouts:

Mailata trained at Florida's IMG Academy in 2018 and performed at various pre-draft workouts. The Eagles took a flier on him in that April’s NFL Draft, selecting Mailata in the seventh round, No. 233 overall.

Now a starter at one of the most important positions on the football field, and with a new three-year, $66 million contract extension behind him, Mailata will represent the Eagles’ offensive line group as a captain in 2024, along with right tackle Lane Johnson.

Here was Mailata’s reaction to the honor:

I mean, first off, I'm extremely honored to be a part of that creed, and I didn't expect it. Whether I've had the 'C' on my chest or not, I've always considered myself a leader, just trying to prove and follow the example that was set for me by the veterans and captains I've had in the past. So to now have the 'C' doesn't really change my mentality, you know, just going to still go about my day and about my hustle.

That's something that I'm going to cherish and not take for granted, because it's an incredible opportunity to lead this team and to be a captain is crazy.

Mailata is the team’s only first-year captain. This is Johnson’s third season. The other team captains for this season are wide receiver A.J. Brown (2nd season), kicker Jack Elliott (3rd season), pass rusher Brandon Graham (6th season), quarterback Jalen Hurts (4th season) and cornerback Darius Slay (3rd season).